


Friendships and Feelings

by larislynn



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Light Angst, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:49:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25025695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/larislynn/pseuds/larislynn
Summary: When tensions build feelings are revealed.Request: 87 from prompt list 1 with zuko! He has a rlly unique voice i love it sm omg
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 116





	Friendships and Feelings

The lake sparkled in front of you as you went through your training routine. You heard shouts nearby but elected to ignore them, assuming it was Aang and Sokka getting into some kind of trouble.

A wave of water flew past your head and you ducked. “That’s it! Toph you need to clean up this mess right now,” Katara screamed. 

You glanced up, wondering what was happening. Mud was dripping down her face and you couldn’t help but laugh. 

From somewhere behind her, Toph’s voice called out, “Make me, Sugar Queen.” Sozin’s Comet was only a few days away and tensions were high. 

Deciding enough was enough, you made your way over to the others. “Hey guys, maybe arguing isn’t the best use of our energy right now,” you stated. Mud splashed along the front of your top and you sighed.

Toph crossed her arms, “The best use of her energy would be to go soak her head!” 

“Alright,” you murmured to yourself, “de-escalation skills, don’t fail me now.” Looking around you called the rest of the group over, “We’re doing a group bonding activity. Everyone sit in a circle.” 

“Do we  _ have _ to do this? I think it’s best if we keep training Aang,” Sokka observed.

You pondered for a moment before responding, “Trust me, training will go more smoothly after we sort things out.”

Aang seemed excited, “Well what are the rules?”

“Here’s what we’re going to do. Everybody compliments the person sitting to their left. I’ll start.” 

You turned to see who was sitting next to you, and your heart skipped a beat. The universe just really wanted to make you suffer, didn’t it?

“Zuko,” you cleared your throat, trying to stall. What could you say that wouldn’t reveal any feelings you had towards him? You felt your cheeks grow warm, “I, uh,  _ I love your voice. _ ” That seemed fairly safe.

He blushed, glancing down, “Thank you,” he said with a smile. “Is it my turn to compliment someone?” You nodded, and he turned to his left. “Aang, you’re doing a great job learning firebending.” 

“Thank you Sifu Hotman, I’ve been practicing!” Sokka snickered at the nickname Aang had for Zuko. “Katara, your hair is really pretty!” 

You smirked. “Aang, Katara isn’t even sitting next to you. You’re supposed to compliment Sokka.” 

“Oh,” he chuckled awkwardly, “yeah right, sorry. Sokka I like how you fight well even without bending.” 

Sokka beamed, “Thank you, Aang! See, he appreciates the art of the blade!”

“Okay Mr. ‘Art of the Blade’, are you going to compliment Toph or just sit there feeling self assured,” Katara laughed.

“Right,” he paused, “Toph, you’re a great fighter and a great teacher for Aang.”

“Well thank you Sokka. I’m guessing I have to compliment Katara next?”

You nodded, “She’s sitting on your left, so yes.” 

“Fine. Katara, you have very nice hair.”   


“Aw, thank you, it means a-” Katara began. “Hey wait a minute! That wasn’t an original compliment. Plus you can’t even see my hair.”    


“Yeah Toph, don’t steal my compliments,” Aang complained. 

“Well maybe I wouldn’t be stealing compliments if I wasn’t forced to give one,” she raised her hands pulling a cloud of dust from the ground. 

Zuko leaned over to you, “Do you want to get out of here before things get messy?” 

You nodded, “Let’s go.” He grabbed your hand, leading you away from the chaos. After a few minutes of walking through the hillside, you arrived at a small grove of trees. 

“I come here whenever I need to think. It’s far enough away from camp so that I can clear my head, but close enough that I’m there if someone needs me,” he explained. 

“Thank you for sharing this with me,” you said, sitting down. “I made a mess of things back there. Forcing them to do that was a bad idea.”   


He sat beside you, “No it wasn’t. That was a great idea, they’re just stressed right now. A lot can go wrong within the next few days, and they have to get their anger out somehow. This is the only way they have. Thank you for the compliment by the way, I don’t think anyone has ever complimented my voice before.”

You smiled, “Well they should. And thank you, Zuko. Speaking of stress, are you alright? I know it can’t be easy for you. Your father may be horrible, but he’s still your father.”   


He glanced down, “That’s the thing, he never was. He may have been my real father, but Uncle was more of a father to me than he ever was. So whatever Aang decides to do, I don’t really care. I just hope we can find Uncle. After everything I did, I need to apologize. Even if he won’t forgive me.”

Tentatively, you placed a hand on his back, “I’m sure he’ll forgive you. After everything you told us, it doesn’t sound like he’s the type to hold a grudge.” 

“This isn’t a grudge,” he sighed. “I betrayed him, he was thrown in jail because of me.”   


“Yet even from jail, he helped you to try and make the right choices. If it wasn’t for him, you wouldn’t know about your true heritage. Trust me, he cares.”   


He smiled weakly, “Thank you, it means a lot.” A small breeze blew past, ruffling his hair. Without thinking, you straightened it out for him, brushing back the stray locks. Once you realized what you had done, you froze.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t,” you stuttered, not sure what to say. He smiled, linking his hand with yours. 

Looking into your eyes, he took a deep breath, “Can I tell you something?”   


“Of course, anything,” you answered.

“I wasn’t planning to tell you about this until after the comet, but if something happens, if one of us doesn’t make it,” he shook his head, “I don’t want this to go unsaid. Ever since I met you, I was captivated by you. My feelings only grew after I joined the group and started spending more time getting to know you. It was then that I realized. I’m in love with you.”

Your heartbeat picked up, hammering in your chest. “Zuko I,” you smiled, “I love you too. I never wanted to say anything because I was worried you wouldn’t feel the same way.” 

His thumb traced circles over your hand, “Can I kiss you?”

You nodded, leaning in. His lips met yours in a soft kiss, and he moved his other hand to your cheek, pulling you closer. 

Someone cleared their throat and you jumped apart, both blushing. “So,” Aang said with a smirk, “this is why you both snuck off."

**Author's Note:**

> Requested on Tumblr. This was a bit shorter than I had hoped, but I'm happy with how it turned out! As always kudos and comments are appreciated! Love you all <3


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